US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Taj Mahal, Amber Fort with wife Jeanette

Agra/Jaipur/New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday visited the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Amber Fort in Jaipur along with his wife Jeanette Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor ahead of the crucial Quad foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday.

Rubio, on a four-day visit to India, arrived at the Kheria airport in Agra in a special aircraft and travelled by car to a hotel near the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal before proceeding to the monument in a golf cart, officials said.

"Thank You For Allowing Us To Visit One Of The Love Treasures Of The World," Rubio wrote in the visitors' book.

The dignitary from Miami, known for its warm weather, seemed relatively unfazed by Agra's searing heat wearing a navy-blue suit, though he took off his necktie before posing for photographs.

The visit to the Taj was followed by a trip to the Amber Fort, where the Rubios were given a traditional Rajasthani welcome at the 16th-century monument and attended cultural performances featuring folk dances, including Kacchi Ghodi and Ghoomar.

Tuesday's Quad meeting in New Delhi will be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar presiding over it.

The Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, has emerged as a key grouping largely focusing on peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. India is hosting the meeting in its capacity as the current chair of the coalition.

Asked about the progress on a peace deal with Iran, the US Secretary of State said, "Work is still in progress. We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today."

"So we have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of get the Strait (of Hormuz) open, enter into a very real, significant time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters and hopefully we can pull it off," Rubio said before he left for Agra.

In Agra, he spent around an hour at the 17th-century marble mausoleum and had pictures taken at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Security was tightened around the Taj Mahal during the high-profile visit, and tourists already present inside the monument complex were temporarily asked to move out by security personnel, officials said.

The visit to the Taj Mahal came amid scorching weather conditions in Agra, which was among the hottest places in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the IMD's weather chart issued on Monday morning, Agra recorded a maximum temperature of 45.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while the minimum temperature settled at 32.8 degrees Celsius.

In Jaipur, tour guide Mahesh Kumar Sharma, who took the Rubios around the fort, told PTI that the visit lasted nearly half an hour, during which the US Secretary of State and his wife toured several prominent parts of the fort complex.

After the welcome, they were taken to Singh Pol (Lion Gate), from there they saw the main courtyard.

"Rubio was briefed about the history and architectural significance of Amber Fort. He then moved to the Diwan-e-Aam, from where he viewed the expansive fort complex and surrounding landscape," Sharma said.

He said the US Secretary of State showed particular interest in the fort's water management system and enquired about the source of water supply.

Rubio was informed about the traditional rainwater harvesting system used at the fort and appeared fascinated by the centuries-old engineering practices, the tour guide said.

The Rubios also visited Ganesh Pol and the famous Sheesh Mahal during the tour. Despite the blistering heat in Jaipur, Rubio appeared to thoroughly enjoy the visit. Built with pale yellow and pink sandstone, the fort sits atop a small hill about 11 km from the main city.